The Winnipeg Jets will induct Ab McDonald and Lars-Erik Sjoberg into the team’s Hall of Fame next year, marking the fifth and sixth members to join the elite club.
McDonald and Sjoberg join Anders Hedberg, Bobby Hull, Ulf Nilsson and Dale Hawerchuk in the honour, where it will be made official during an induction ceremony on February 26, 2019 prior to the Jets’ Alumni Night game at Bell MTS Place against the Minnesota Wild.
Ab McDonald, a native of Winnipeg, played 16 seasons in the NHL from 1958-72 with the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues before playing the final two seasons of his career with the WHA’s Winnipeg Jets from 1972-74.
Lars-Erik Sjoberg played for the Winnipeg Jets in the WHA era from 1974-79 and the first season in the NHL in 1979-80. Known as “The Professor” and “The Little General” while playing for the Jets, Sjoberg helped lead the Jets to the Avco Cup in 1976, 1978 and 1979 before serving as the first captain of the Jets 1.0 NHL era.
McDonald passed away in September at the age of 82, while Sjoberg passed away in 1987 at the age of 43. Both men had fought battles with cancer.
The Jets will wear their adidas adizero Authentic Pro Heritage Jerseys that night, marking only the second occasion the Heritage jersey has made an appearance this season. The jersey will go on sale to the public on November 30 through NHL.com, the adidas website, and all Jets Gear locations.
The hockey club is also paying tribute to former Jets’ captains on February 26, with confirmed attendees joining current Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler at Alumni Night, including Morris Lukowich, Dave Christian, Lucien DeBlois, Dale Hawerchuk, Thomas Steen, Dean Kennedy, Keith Tkachuk and Kris King.
